MPAA Rating: PG-13/Genre: War Drama/Stars: Colin Firth, Matthew MacFadyen, Kelly Macdonald, Penelope Wilton, Johnny Flynn, Jason Isaacs, Simon Russell Beale, Paul Ritter, Mark Gatiss, Nicholas Rowe, Will Keen, Alexander Beyer, Lorne MacFadyen, Hattie Morahan, Alex Jennings, Mark Bonnar, Gabrielle Creevy, Ruby Bentall, James Fleet, Nico Birnbaum, Markus Von Lingen, Jonjo O’Neill/Runtime: 128 minutes
I think among the plethora of military ops that have occurred in the annals of world history, the British military op known as Operation Mincemeat was one which really did have quite the rather unique code name for a British mission that was just as if not more so kinda ridiculous if we are being honest. A mission that consisted of how all the way back in 1943, the Allies were making plans to invade Sicily and take it out from under the Axis powers so they could take Italy back from Mussolini. Thus, in order to divert resources (read: men with guns) from Sicilian shores, a pair of British intelligence operatives decided to try and persuade the Nazis they were actually going to Greece instead utilizing no more and no less than fake confidential documents and the corpse of a vagrant made up to be a decorated British marine officer. Suffice it to say this is one truth is stranger than fiction saga from the chronicles of world history that is one that was for a long time most assuredly all but begging and pleading to be transformed into a feature film that, in the right hands, could very well be to some degree the period British intelligence equivalent of the phenomenal slice of cinema Argo from 2012. Of course, it should come as no surprise to learn that such a cinematic treatment is what I am reviewing today and which is being brought to American audiences courtesy of the power of streaming giant Netflix and film helmer John Madden (no not the iconic football legend….that would be pretty amazing though). Yet whereas there was a fair bit of humor to be found in Argo thanks to both just how ludicrous that titular scheme truly was as well as two game co-starring efforts from Alan Arkin and John Goodman, this slice of cinema chooses to go the opposite road and approaches this truth is stranger than fiction saga with a distinct British style of civility and dignity (though a little bit of dry British humor is still present). It’s also worth pointing out that, also unlike a lot of war films, this slice of cinema doesn’t take place on a battlefield littered with bodies and rubble. Rather, this one takes place deep in the heart of London in top-secret military planning rooms where everyone is either drinking, smoking, nervously moving around, or all of the above as they try to make a plan that seems like a distant relative to the plot of Weekend at Bernie’s work to the benefit of the free world. More than that, this slice of cinema, as penned by Michelle Ashford, is desperate to make sure this op is given the proper dignity it deserves starting right off the bat with a strict yet colorful narration that tells us that in war “truth is surrounded by a bodyguard of lies.” Suffice it to say that this one slice of cinema that may have its flaws, but given the material it is working with to say nothing of wonderful work both behind and especially in front of the camera, this is one slice of cinema that proves to be an absolute gem in every sense of the word.
The plot is as follows: Taking us all the way back to the year 1943, our slice of cinema opens up in the aftermath of the Blitz and reveals that the Brits are in the midst of making preparations for what was viewed by many as a fairly hefty invasion off the coast of Sicily. The only problem that they were encountering however is that in order to have the invasion go as scheduled, they would need to find some way, however crazy, to try and throw Germany astray and make them think that the invasion forces would be landing somewhere else. Fortunately, British military intelligence (or to be more precise Churchill) had a fondness for ideas so crazy and so ludicrous they just might work. I say this because it isn’t long hereafter that we meet our two main heroes. The first is a highly respected Jewish lawyer/ part-time Naval Intel Officer by the name of Ewen Montagu, who by the time our story has taken place, has seen his life hit a crossroads courtesy of having to put a pause on his lawyer duties as well as his wife and children who he loves more than anything departing to seek safety in the United States with the implication hanging overhead that he might not see them ever again. The second is a stoic and fairly grounded former RAF lieutenant as well as just going about his duties like a good lad MI5 operative by the name of Charles Cholmondeley. Together these two will see their paths cross at a meeting where a group of intel agents attempt to brainstorm a scheme that will convince Hitler that the Allies are NOT going to land at Sicily despite everyone and their mother seemingly knowing to the contrary. It is also at this meeting where we see our dynamic duo come up with an insane plot to find a male corpse, make him out to be a high ranking officer, plant fake confidential documents on him that suggest a landing at Greece, and then set him adrift to hopefully arrive on a beach in Spain to be intercepted by the German spy network in the area. Thus with the aid of not only a loyal secretary by the name of Jean, but also Ewen’s right hand woman from his law office named Hester as well as a young man by the name of Ian Fleming (yes THAT Ian Fleming), we see our duo set about putting their scheme into motion. Yet with personal issues starting to flare amongst the team and the icy Director of Naval Intelligence doing everything he can to hinder them due to his personal belief that their scheme is doomed to failure can this rag tag group of heroes fight the odds and come up with a scheme that, miraculously, might actually work? That I will leave for you to discover dear reader…..
Suffice it to say that it should not be a surprise to learn that the aforementioned narrative is one that proves to be quite astonishing even before giving it the cinematic treatment. However it is in the manner that this film’s creative team behind the camera handle it that manages to enhance it beautifully. This starts with the script penned as mentioned by Michelle Ashford and which does a brilliant job of elevating how vital narrative regaling within this scheme was to wonderful effect as it manages to both immerse us in how crucial a well-told narrative can be whilst also strengthening it with all the necessary suspense of a well-made thriller. Yes the main objective of this distinct spy job was one that depended quite a bit on misdirection of the highest caliber, but as the movie shows us there was more to this than just placing some counterfeit papers on a dead guy and declaring the whole thing a success over a bottle of Scotch. Rather, the squad at the heart of this op knew they were going to sculpt and mold a whole backstory that was nonexistent around the dead body of a guy who was unfamiliar to about 99.9% of the population of London. As a result, this meant the team had to immerse themselves in the emotional potency behind seemingly little things like a fabricated love letter to a photo given by one of the team to conjure up a faux romance. Of course to make up that level of intricate detail, you have to be willing to invest in making it work. Suffice it to say therefore that perhaps one of the finest positives that this movie has going for it is the manner in which it showcases for us, through its technical components behind the camera, the manner in which said investment has an impact on everyone involved as they all valiantly try to keep a grip on those things they care the most about in the world even while taking part in one of the most terrifying times in modern history.
Yet with that in mind, it should still be said that even with all the riveting pathos that are part and parcel for this particular narrative, this slice of cinema must still regale us with its distinct narrative whilst being void of a lot of the distinct touches present in many other sagas set during the 2nd World War. This is because this story is not one about a truly massive or epic battle and the men fighting in it. Instead, this is a tight knit and fairly solemn narrative about the ingenuity and drive of a small team attempting to execute a plan that has implications on a significantly massive scale. As a result, we see that this requires the film’s helmer to keep you on the edge of your seat without the utilization of grandiose action beats thus requiring a strong cast to help pick up the slack as it were. Gratefully, this slice of cinema is blessed with a truly dynamic cast who are all aces in every sense of the word. This starts with lead actor, and one of my favorite actors whenever he shows up in anything, Colin Firth manages to hook you into the film with that charismatic and charming screen presence that Firth brings to everything whilst also managing to insert in a wonderful level of emotion and vulnerability as the movie goes along. Equally as great in this is Matthew MacFadyen who as the second half of this odd couple dynamic duo manages to hold his own against Firth whilst also building up a wonderful portrayal of a character who is simply trying to prove he is worthy to be recognized for his own accomplishments rather than be compared to others time and time again. Now in terms of co-starring efforts we see that delightful actress Kelly Macdonald manages to literally swipe scenes from both her male co-stars in her terrific portrayal of a woman who is simply trying to get the chance to be a part of something greater than herself. Of course, I would also be amiss if I didn’t mention the work done in this by both a suave and charming Johnny Flynn who I now want to see star in an Ian Fleming biopic and the always enjoyable Jason Isaacs as this slice of cinema’s de-facto antagonist of sorts (though when you cast Isaacs in a movie more often than not that’s exactly the role he is playing). Suffice it to say that this group of performers manage to veer between instances of humor, emotion, and genuine suspense with skill and in the process inspire this slice of cinema to become a truly wonderful effort.
All in all I think it can easily be said that the land of movie magic has been providing audiences with slices of cinema that took dramatic licensing with the events of the Second World War ever since that legendary conflict was still very much a part of the day to day life for people across the planet. Suffice it to say that even 80 years later we as creative minds and movie goers still find ourselves being pulled back time and time again to that distinct era in the saga of humanity. I mean there is just something about the potency of these instances that has managed to define the path of human history in the time since these events took place that unsurprisingly manages to carry quite a bit of appeal for filmmakers from Spielberg to Singer and seemingly everyone in between (except for Lucas, but then again his war movies were always a bit more star-related if you’ll forgive the pun). Yet what astonishes me the most in regards to narratives set during World War II is not the fact that they continue to hold weight all these years later. Rather, for me it’s the fact that there are stories still be told. Yes, and in all fairness, there are a few of them which prove to be simple retoolings of other narratives that we have heard time and time again. However, if you have the patience to go hunting, there are still quite a few patches in the giant World War Two cinematic potential quilt worth bringing to life that, if done right, will very likely result in a very good cinematic effort. I think it is safe to say dear reader that Operation Mincemeat feels like one of those aforementioned special stories. Indeed here is a slice of cinema that may be grounded in the astonishing true saga of one of the best deceptive efforts to come out of the 2nd World War, but is one that manages to operate quite well as a period thriller with a fair degree of delightful gallows humor and a message about how potentially impactful a well-regaled narrative truly can be. More than that, this is a slice of cinema that manages to prove to be a wonderful reminder that we as movie goers might not ever see an end to the amount of stories that we are cinematically given from this truly iconic era in world history. Suffice it to say that Operation Mincemeat for all its other positives that it has working for it proves to be a distinct variety of World War II saga that, regardless of your knowledge level of the era, is sure to leave you both fascinated by the story being told as well as curious for more stories just like it. Make of that what you will dear reader. On a scale of 1-5 I give Operation Mincemeat “2022” a solid 4 out of 5.
